his brethrens souls and now many do what they can in a manner to damn their own and their brethrens fouls also 9. That there are rewards and punishments after this life there 's a future Estate of happiness or misery for rich and poor there 's an Abrahams bosome for some and hell-torments for others those that have done good and suffered evil things here shall be comforted and those who have done evil things and enjoyed good things here they shall be tormented 10. That some of the Children of Abraham finde no place in the bosome of Abraham Dives cal'd Abraham father and Abraham cal'd Dives son but yet Dives had his place and portion in hell 11. That rich men must expect mercy in the other world according as they have shewed mercy to the poor in this he that giveth to the poor lendeth unto the Lord and the Lord will repay him his own again with usury Giving to the poor is but sowing of feed and in due time they that sow plentifully shall reap plentifully shall I say thirty or sixty yea I dare say an hundred-fold even in the world to come life everlasting 12. That the way to escape hell and attain heaven is to hearken to to obey the holy Scriptures these are they that shew unto us the way of salvation the only way of peace and reconciliation with God and remission of sins namely repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ These these are they that are as a voice behinde us or within us saying this is the way walk in it when that which is holy just and good is proposed to us But when we are tempted unto evil these are unto us as the Angel to St. John saying see thou do it not Let us not in the least question the divine authority of the holy Scriptures either of the Old or New testament both are confirmed by the exerting of supernatural power in miracles and of supernatural wisdom and knowledge in fulfilling of prophesies and forasmuch as Abraham in heaven sends us to Moses and the Prophets and even Christ himself a greater then Abraham appeals to Scripture proves by Scripture though he received the spirit without measure and resolves as it were his own authority into the divine authority of the Old Testament 13. And again that if one of the Testaments be true neither of them can be false let 's know and believe all that is written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning Christ and all that is written in the Gospel in the Acts in the Epistles and the Revelation concerning Christ and Christians our Saviour or our selves and let 's not only hear the Scriptures but do them so that we may be blessed in the deed And when we hear any new or strange doctrines let 's be noble like the Bereans and search the Scriptures to see whether things be so or no as these men teach Let 's try opinions doctrines and actions our own and others by this touchstone Let 's weigh them in this ballance of the sanctuary and accordingly judge them And that I may speak a word in season both as to the text and the occasion and that some good account may be given of this days concourse let 's all of us labour to shew forth our faith by our works and as we hold that our faith justifies our persons before God so let our good works justifie our faith before men They are like the hand on the dial of a Clock which shews how it goes although it doth not cause it to move Le ts feed the Hungry Clothe the Naked make our selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousnesse that when we fail we may be received into everlasting habitations Let 's be confident that our cruise of Oyl shall never fail so long as we pour it out in these empty vessels and that one penny laid out upon Gods poor upon Christs brethren will redound more to our account at the great day then many thousands laid up in our Coffers or laid out upon our vain delights and pleasures and should the Lady of this Manour arise from the dead this day I dare say she could testifie that the widows mite so as I take it she called the donation and benefaction we now commemorate was of more avail and advantage to her then the thousands she laid up in her treasury therefore whilst we have opportunity let us do good unto all men especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith to the bretheren of Christ and what soever good we finde in our hearts to do let 's do it with all our might for there is no wisedome nor counsel in the grave whither we are going Let 's beg of God that we may not have our good things in this life and our evil in the other that we may not be like Dives of the number of those worldlings who have their portion in this life as the Psalmist speaks Or as those fools who lay up for themselves treasures on earth and are not rich towards God And let 's manifest that our treasures are in heaven because there are our hearts also let 's set our affections on things above and not on things on the earth considering God has made the earth to set our feet upon not to set our hearts upon let us not be like blinde Moles ever rooting digging in the Earth living here as in our proper Element for when a few years perhaps weeks or days are gone and death comes our eyes shall be opened as the Naturalists say the eyes of the Moles are when they come to die and then we shall see clearly that we have laboured in vain in vain have we risen early gone to bed late eaten the bread of care fulnesse for Riches Miser-like hoarded up or Epicure-like laid out upon our selves profit not in the day of death To conclude all let 's not suffer any poor Lazarus to starve at our gates for want of crumbs and let none of us that are ministers suffer any poor soul for whom Christ died to starve at the gates of the Temple for want of our breaking to them the bread of life we are all by our profession children of Abraham now then let us do the work of Abraham let 's walk in the steps of Abraham let 's be rich in faith full of self-denyal full of good works chariry Hospitality let 's go out and invite strangers on occasion as he did and then he will not be ashamed to be called our father nor unwilling to take our soul into his bosome yea let 's imitate Lazarus let 's make God our help our trust so he did and so his name as the name Eleazar imports And let 's patiently bear all the evils that God lays on us himself or suffers man to lay on us in this world and then when we die God will send his Angels to do the like office for us which they did for Lazarus even to carry our souls into Abrahams bosome Errata PAge 3. line 12. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. l. 1. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 20. l. 6. for sumus r. fumus p. 25. l. 2. for which r. who p. 15. l. 8. for powrs r. pours p. 27. l. 3. for them r. him p. 3◠l. 32. for any r. an p. 37. l. 22. for an r. and. FINIS
THE VANITY of MAN At his best Estate AND THE Vanity of Dives His Desire when at his Worst VIZ. To have a PREACHER sent from the Dead to his Fathers House Discoursed of In Two SERMONS the First before the University of Oxon the other at Ayno in Northamptonshire at the Anniversary for the Foundation of the Free-School there By T. H. B. D. Sometime Rector of Souldern in Oxfordshire July 17. Imprimatur G. Jane LONDON Printed by J.B. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and 3 Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel and at the Bible on London-Bridge 1676. To the much Honoured Mrs MARY FANE Madam THe two following Sermons here humbly presented into your hands may have leave to beg if not pretend a Title to your Patronage The first having been made in a good measure long since upon occasion of the death of that excellent person Sir Roger Townshend Baronet your Vncle and now made seasonable by the late losse of your dear Husband that worthy and nobly descended Gentleman Mr Fane as also of your dear father Mr Cartwright a great losse both to his Family and Countrey your Husband deceasing in the morning and your Father about the Noon of his age The second Sermon may plead for your acceptance also upon this accompt that it was not long since preached at Ayno upon the Anniversary for the foundation of the Free-school there by your Grandmother and God-mother Mrs Mary Cartwright late Lady of that Manour Madam should I be censured for this Addresse to you your birth at Soulderne when I was Minister there my Obligations to your Husbands Family as also to your Father Mother and Grandfather Cartwright with other of your Relations shall be my Apology So with my hearty prayers to God for you that you may go on in the good ways of your educations and that although you are left Husbandless Fatherless and Motherless yet that neither you nor yours may ever be left Friendless helpless or comfortless but that he would please to be a comforter a Friend a Father a Husband to you and that you may be the blessed of the Lord and your off-spring with you I humbly take leave and remain Madam Your very humble servant Thomas Hodges June 27th 1676. A SERMON Concerning the Vanity of man even at his best estate Psalm 39.5 Verily every man at his best estate is altogether Vanitie Selah ' T Is usual and useful for Travellers to carry about them Maps or draughts of the Countries through which they travel We are all pilgrims and strangers here but travellers as all our fathers were For as they were so are we in this world Let me therefore commend unto you this Psalm to carry along with you in your bosomes to have often in your eyes It is a little map of the lesser world man and of the greater world what it is or can be to man 'T is a true perfect map drawn and coloured by the pen of the Royal prophet David as his hand was held and guided by the Holy Ghost 'T is possible that it may and my prayer is that it might prove of singular use and benefit to us in this world that we lose not our way that we lose not our selves in this forrein countrey Tâ—… text 't is the marrow and quintessence 't is the great lesson of this Psalm 't is the sum of the whole book of Ecclesiastes 'T 〈…〉 and prophesie of Solomons experience 'T is the 〈…〉 Prophets text upon which the son the King-Preaent Solomon made after wards that Sermon or Comment that excellent piece the book of Ecclesiastes Here 's magnum in parvo much in a little a description of two Wordls in two or three Words yea here 's the universe All as it were in Nothing all briefly comprehended in this one word Vanitie 'T is thought it was Absoloms conspiracy that occasioned Davids penning this Psalm David before this when the house of Saul was layd in the dust thought that surely his Mountain was so strong that it could never be moved but behold on a suddain a viper in his own bosome an Absalom that seeks the death of him that gave him life and after he had driven hâ—s father from his Royall palace and City consults to assemble together all Israel to whatsoever place or City wheresoever they could finde him even to bring ropes to that City and to draw it into the river untill there should not be one small stone found there 2. Sam. 17.12 13. And now the sweet singer of Israel changes his tune to this sad note in the text Verily every man at his most fined or setled estate is altogether Vanity Selah And although we should suppose or grant as some do that the prophet David uttered these words out of his impatience yet the words for the matter of them hold forth the same truth with many other Scriptures see Job 14.1 and 16.22 and 34.20 Eccles 9.12.1 Corinth 7.29 31. Psal 89.48 and ' Psa 90 10. and especially the 11th verse of this Psalm where the same prophet repeats the same thing for substance that he doth here saying again Surely every man is vanity Selah And if Kings and Princes and great gallants of the world should reply to the prophet some what like that of Festus to the Apostle Paul Acts. 26.24.25 David thou art beside thy self much affliction hath made thee mad the Prophet might return in the like manner as the Apostle there did I am not mad most noble Princes but speak forth the words of truth and sobernesse Surely man is vanity Adam is Enosh or Abel Abel Enosh Benoni are fit names for every son of Adam Every man is vanity high and low together Greek and Barbarian wise and unwise bond and free Further every man is altogether vanity Every man or all man is all vanity Man was a model and compendium of the worlds creation in its perfection and beauty so he is now too of it in its corruption and vanity Cum inanimis saith one subjacet mutationi corruptioni cum animatis alterationi morti cum sentientibus laetitiae moerori cum Angelis inconstantiae c. i. e. Man like the inanimate creatures or those creatures which are without life is subject to change and corruption like animate or living creatures he is subject to alteration and death like sensitive creatures he is subject to joy and sorrow and like the Angels namely those that left their first station he is subject to inconstancy and folly Lastly every man at his best estate at his most fixed most setled estate when living when most lively lusty healthy rich honourable when most happy parmanent for the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very diversly rendred by translators even then is he altogether vanity omni ex parte or quoad omnia or modis omnibus vanissimus est as some interpret Mens lives are uncertain their afflictions are unsatiable and disorderly their enjoyments transitory their beauty their greatness
although it might save your lives yea the life of your souls yet know there are three days wherein this truth will stare you in the face and will be like the hand-writing on the wall to Belshazzar the former two days are dark days days of darkness and gloominesse spoken of by Joel ch 2. and by Solomon Eccles. 12. the day of distresse and misery and the day of death and you 'l reade that in the dark probably which in the sun-shine of prosperity you could not or would not do and this is your vanity the third and last day is a day of thunder and lightning the great day of Judgement and then if you were blinde till then which yet you shall not be your eyes shall then be opened and you shall see the world your self your own Condition all in their proper colours of vanity and vexation of spirit Let this suffice to have been spoken of two of the main things propounded to be handled in the beginning III. 3. And now if any ask me if it be so why is it thus The great husbandman sowed good corn in his feild whence then hath it tares whence hath it vanity I answer man may be said to be vanity causally in regard of himself and also of the creature that is to be the Author of the vanity in the creatures and in himself I mean of the sinful vanity of man and of that vanity and deceitfulnesse which is in all the creatures their frustrating mans expectations of satisfaction and happiness in them and from them which indeed they never promised him I may say to allude to that other Scripture why seek ye the living among the dead why seek ye happinesse below It is not here it is risen come to the paradise and see the place where once it lay It was sin bred bitternesse in our greatest sweets and discontent in our greatest contentments We drew on vanity on ours and the creatures heads with cords of iniquity Man when he sin'd became vain in his imagination and it sufficeth the servant that he beâ—…s his master that that likewife be in its kinde subject unto vanity It is true there is a vanity which is not sinful which was not caused by sin and that is the vanity of the greater and lesser world in comparison to him that made them both they are so to him vanity and lighter then vanity IV. As for the fourth and last general proposed viz. How we may be freed out of this vanity I refer you to the close of the application and so I proceed directly to the Uses Vses Vse 1. I's every man at his best and most flourishing estate altogether vanity Then according as it is written Jerem. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches but rather as it is written and that again and again 1 Cor. 1.31 2 Cor. 10.27 Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. Let the poor and mean Christian in respect of parts and place and of his portion in the things of this life let him glory in that by being a Christian he is spiritually exalted but the wise and noble and mighty and rich Christian glory in this that by this Scripture he is made low this day and set upon the same level and plain ground with his poor brother Let him consider the vanity and uncertainty of all worldly enjoyments and outward excellencies it is a text or theam the prophet is commanded to preach upon and that with a loud voice Esa 40 67. The spirit said cry and I sayd what shall I cry why all flesh is grass and the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the grasse the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it And the Apostle James gives this reason why rich men should have low thoughts in their high condition because as the flower of the grasse they and their riches shall passe away James 1.10 You wise men and noble men and rich men you seem gay and glorious flowers the eyes of men are delighted with such beautiful objects but alas at your best estate you are altogether vanity when you are flowring you may be neerest to withering you may die in your prime and flower like as herbs when they begin to spring and flourish presently wither and the flower thereof falleth and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways saith the Scripture ver 11. of that 1. of Janes Couldst thou by power or policy get into a throne and exalt thy throne above the thrones of all the Kings upon the face of the whole earth couldst thou proclaim thy self univerfal Lord and Monarch and send yokes by thine Embassadours to all the Princes and States of the world shouldest thou say in thy heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most high yet the time will come and it will not be long when this text shall be like Belshazzars hand-writing upon the wall behold thou art weighed and art found too light thou art light upon the ballance altogether vanity and this kingdom is departed from thee The Kings and great ones who have gone down into the grave before thee may take up this proverb against thee may speak and say unto thee art thou also become weak as we art thou also become vanity like unto us thy pomp is brought down to the grave and the noyse of thy viols Instead of thy golden and glorious carpets and coverings behold now the worme is spread under thee and the worms cover thee How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer son of the morning O therefore when thou art in prosperity in thy best estate say not I shall never be moved Do not sing a requiem to thy Soul with the rich fool saying soul take thine ease thou hast goods layd up for many years lest it be said to thee Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee Say not with Nebuchadnezzar when thou lookest upon thy goodly buildings Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majestie lest whilst the word be yet in thy mouth there fall a voice from heaven saying To thee it is spoken thy kingdom is departed from thee thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the feild and the day cometh when there shall not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down Say not with Eastern Babylon Esa 47.7 8. I shall be a Lady for ever I am and none else besides me I shall not sit as a widow neither shall I know the losse of children lest these two things come to thee in a moment in one day the losse of children and
are apt to imagine But what shall we say then to that of our Saviour Obj. Matth. 11.21.23 Wo to thee Corazin wo unto thee Fethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Zidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes Grotius will have all these things to be said by our Saviour not Ans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say it is reasonable to think that those miracles would have been sufficient to produce such effects even repentance and that in sackcloth and ashes as Jonahs preaching did among the Ninevites again although miracles might probably have been efficatious to bring gentile sinners to repentance yet the Jews were so perverse obstinate and rebellious they had Moses and the Prophets and therein sufficient motives to repentance namely Gods commands his promises and threatnings even heaven and hell set before them and those things ratifyed formerly by miracles so that if they would not be wrought upon by all this it would be in vain to send unto them a messenger or preacher from the dead miracles saith the Apostle are for them that believe not and not for them that believe when there is no prophesy there miracles probably may prevail but those within the Church who have had Moses and the prophets and prophesy confirmed by miracles long ago if they believe not if they repent not they themselves are to be looked upon us prodigies and wonders so far are they from reasonably expecting of miracles to turn and convert them If Moses and the prophets be not of credit with Dives his brethren being Jews to perswade them to amend and repent neither could one and that one Lazarus if he went unto them from the dead The Uses or inferences from the premises may be either for direction or information of our selves or for confutation of others that are in errour and for exhortation 1st Use Hence we may be informed 1 Vse that if we must attend to Moses and the prophets and that those believed and obeyed are means sufficient to bring us to repentance and salvation that then by those as the wife men by a Star we may be directed unto Christ our blessed Saviour testified as much John 5.46.47 Hadye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of we but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words Moses wrote of Christ Gen. 3.15 Namely that the seed of the woman should break the scrpents head and Deut. 18.15.18 the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken This was so well known that Philip finding Nathanael saith unto him as we reade John 1.45 We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph As for the prophets they foretold him as the Branch of the Lord Isa 4.2 as the prince of peace so Isaiah chap. 9.6 as the destre of all nations Haggai Chap. 2.7 As Messiah the prince so Daniel Chap. 9.25 as the sun of righteousnesse with healing in his wings so Malachi Chap. 4. ver the 2d the two Testaments are joynt witnesses of one and the same great truth namely that Jesus is the Christ the Messiah the Saviour that was to come into the world 2. Use hence we may learn to make the written word of God 2 Vse Of Inform. as David did a light unto our feet and a lanthorn to our paths and not to leave Moses and the Prophets pretending to follow the light within us as some do the light within us our own reason that 's a dim and imperfect light without revelation by this light we should never have discovered the mysteries of the holy Trinity the Mystery of the two natures in Christ nor our salvation by Faith in him by this we could not have discovered all sins nor have known all necessary truths nor have been convinced of all duties yea it might come to passe that leaving the holy Scriptures Moses and the Prophets and the writings of the holy Evangelists and Apostles to follow the dictates of our own erroneous consciences we might be led as those are they say that follow an ignis fatuus out of our right way into boggs and precipices Thus they that shall kill you saith our Saviour shall think they do God good service And the holy Apostle Paul tells us I verily thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Iesus of Nazareth which things I also did in Ierusalem Acts. 26.9 10. 'T is true that we are to follow the guidance of our consciences but our consciences are to be inlightned and guided by the directions of God in his word Our consciences are but Gods deputyes and Lieutenants and whether it be fit to observe the servant or Deputy rather then to obey the will of the supreme or soveraign Lord judge ye Again hence we may learn to study and follow the directions of the holy Scriptures of the old and New Testarnent rather then pretend to impulses providences visions and Revelations for what we do to the law to the testimony by this our opinions and practices yea our persons shall be justified and by this word they shall be condemned heaven and earth shall passe away saith our Saviour but not aniota or tittle of the law shall perish 3. Use 3 Vse of Informat Hence learn not to be seduced or not to be drawn away from the true Protestant Religion founded upon the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets i. e. the holy Scriptures unto the Romish Religion upon pretence of Miracles which they say are wrought amongst them for 1. Our blessed Saviour foretold Math. 24.24 that men should arise doing such great wonders in imitation of himself that they should deceive if it were possible the very elect And St. Paul tells us in his 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians the 2d Chap. verse the 9th that the son of perdition should arise should appear with all power signes and lying wonders So that Antichrist does pretend to nothing but what our Saviour Christ and his Apostle foretold 2. The protended Miracles of the Church of Rome are wrought and brought to confirm a Doctrine contrary to Moses and the prophets that is to the holy Scriptures and they being already ratified by many and great Miracles true Miracles 't is certain that these pretended miracles brought to confirm a lye are delusions and impostures 3. The Ancient fathers and some of the most learned men of the Church of Rome of latter times deny the continuance of the power of Miracles in the Church after that the Christian Religion had been so generally received believed and embraced in the world for this the Reverend Dr Stilling fleet in a late piece against the Papists quoted St. Chrysostome St. Austin Tostatus upon